


Founding Day

by leoba



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bodyguard Rey, F/M, Inspired by The Gift of the Magi - O. Henry, Senator Ben Solo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-08-29 01:14:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16734228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leoba/pseuds/leoba
Summary: Senator Ben Organa is upset in the weeks leading up to the Alderaanian Founding Day celebration, so his bodyguard has a plan for a gift that just might make him happy. She would very much like to make him happy.





	Founding Day

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jeeno2](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeeno2/gifts).



> Thanks a million to LoveThemFiercely for all her help whipping this into shape, I couldn't have written it without her!

Since the destruction of Alderaan, the Founding Day of the House of Organa was not widely celebrated outside of a small group of people, namely the surviving Alderaanians spread across the remaining Core Worlds of the galaxy. Chief among the celebrants was, of course, Senator Ben Solo Naberrie Amidala Organa, the Republic Senator representing the Alderaanian diaspora.

Rey of Jakku had been Senator Organa’s Jedi-appointed bodyguard for three years now, and every year she had watched him prepare for the Founding Day celebrations. It was bittersweet for him, given that the vast majority of his people had been murdered by the Empire when his home planet was destroyed by the Death Star. It had happened before he was even born. But the Empire was no longer, his parents had helped to ensure that; and Founding Day was characterized explicitly as a festival, a triumphant event rather than a memorial. Still, Rey could see that it was painful for her charge. They had been growing close over the past year, after two very difficult ones, and she found herself caring very much about his well being; not only wishing to keep him safe, but to see him happy. She had compassion for him; this was acceptable, for a Jedi. And she sensed that he likewise had compassion for her. So this year she intended to do something to make the event more pleasant for him.

Senator Organa had, she knew, a set of robes in his closet that he never wore. Although he was able to shield his emotions from her remarkably well (he was as strong in the Force as she was, although he had never formally trained as a Jedi, opting to follow his mother’s footsteps into politics at a young age) she intuited that he felt very strongly about those robes. Rey didn’t have to read his mind to figure this out, his feelings were clear on his face when he regarded them.

One month before Founding Day, Rey had found the Senator in his chambers, the robes laid out on his bed, and he finally shared their story with her. They were the last surviving set of ceremonial robes belonging to his grandfather, Bail Organa, who had been the Senator for Alderaan during the rise of the Empire and who had then been a leader in the Rebel Alliance. He had been on Alderaan when the Death Star destroyed it, but by a series of accidents this single set of robes had survived. Rey thought they were beautiful, woven from soft-looking fabric dyed a deep green, sewn with silver thread, and edged by embroidered flowers that the Senator said were starflowers - small blue flowers native to Alderaan. In fact the robes were, according to family legend, designed explicitly to call to mind the lawns of the Alderaanian royal palace, where the flowers were said to have grown especially thick. A set of clasps to hold the robes together at the front is all that kept the Senator himself from being able to wear them. The clasps would, he explained, have been made of some kind of metal, likely inlaid with gems to match the color of the robes themselves and their embroidered starflowers.

As the Senator told her the story of his grandfather, and the robes, and talked about the lawns and the flowers that he had never seen, his face had softened; and so had his emotional shields. Rey couldn’t help but sense his sadness, his longing for a home he represented but would never know. Her compassion for him was very strong in this moment, her heart _hurt_ , and she thought that she might do anything to see him smile, just once, to see him happy.

* * *

As a Jedi, Rey did not have many personal belongings; her vows forbid it. But she did have one item that meant more to her than anything, and that the Jedi masters had very kindly allowed her to keep with her: a short sword inherited from her grandfather on his deathbed. He had been a Jedi in his own time, and had been gifted the sword by a relatively unknown race on a planet in the Outer Rim when he had helped them in a battle with interfering outsiders. This race had been skilled with metalworking and the planet had been blessed with vast mineral deposits (hence the outside interest), so in their thanks they had given him one of their most beautiful ceremonial swords. As a Jedi, Rey used a lightsaber; but she kept the sword to remember her grandfather, the only family she had ever known.

The sword was remarkable; Senator Organa had said as much when she had shown it to him a few months ago, while they were unpacking on Naboo in preparation for yet another set of trade meetings. It was made of metal, dark grey with a silver sheen, and it was very hard and sharp. The hilt was inlaid with three large gems, a light blue that reminded Rey of the sunrise over the lake on Varykino, which she had seen once during an earlier visit to Naboo. The blade itself was decorated with smaller gems, dark green, twelve of them (six on each side) that danced from the hilt to the tip. It was meant to be seen, not to be used in battle, and being in Rey’s possession it didn’t really get seen much, but she loved it. It meant more to her than anything.

She couldn’t help but notice that the colors of her sword matched those of the Senator’s robes, and she thought how wonderful it would look alongside them. So two weeks before Founding Day, Rey took her sword to Coruscant’s best metalworker and swore her to secrecy. And on Founding Day eve, she returned to the shop and picked up her parcel. It had taken all her meager savings to pay for the labor of the work, but she believed it would be worth it. If it would make the Senator happy, it would be worth it.

* * *

When Rey returned to the Senator’s chambers, she was surprised to find him already there. He had changed out of his robes and into more informal garb; a grey tunic over black trousers, his hair pulled back into a bun, dangling earrings replaced with several small pearls lining each of his earlobes. She was surprised, not by his appearance, but because he had completely lowered his emotional shields, leaving himself open to her. His emotions were strong, and complex, and the one that she could perceive the strongest was nervousness. The Senator was very, very anxious, and this concerned her.

“Sir, are you all right?”

Instead of answering her question, he gestured to the chair across from where he was seated on the small sofa of his sitting room. He smiled, a genuine expression that lit up his face. Rey lowered herself into the chair, smiling back at him, the package containing her gift resting on her knees.

His eyes fell to the package, and she sensed his curiosity. He lifted his chin at it. “What is that, Master Jedi? Have you been shopping?” His voice was very deep and was, as always, quieter than she expected it to be.

Rey swallowed and nodded, hoping her own nervousness didn’t come across too strongly. “It’s a gift for you, sir; for Founding Day.”

His surprise was an astounding pleasure for her. She found herself wishing he would open himself to her all the time. “You got me a gift?” He asked, his eyes bright.

“Uh, yes. I thought it might make you happy. Here.” And she set the parcel on the table that separated them.

He touched the wrapping with one of his long fingers and set his dark eyes on her. “I got a gift for you too,” and he gave her a grin that made her toes curl. The feeling came over her so quickly she didn’t have time to shield against it, but she didn’t sense anything negative from him in reply. Rather, she sensed pleasure. Her face felt hot, and she lowered her eyes to the floor.

“Sir. Will you open your gift first?”

“If you insist,” he said lightly, and she heard the crackle of the paper as he picked up the package and slowly opened it.

His emotions nearly overwhelmed her, and her eyes snapped up so she could align her vision with what she was sensing from him. There was pleasure and pain, happiness and sadness, with a definite amusement that overlaid them all. It was a very strange thing, and his face reflected all of these in turn; but it settled on a smile, that turned very quickly into a deep laugh. He laughed until tears rolled down his face, he laughed and held the package against his chest, the package containing three silver metal clasps, each one decorated with one large dark green gem and four smaller light blue ones.

Rey was very confused. “Sir, they’re to hold together your ceremonial robes, the ones that belonged to your grandfather. The colors; I think they’ll go very well?”

The Senator wiped the tears off his face with the sleeve of his tunic, and he did not put down the package. “Oh, Master Jedi, I know what they’re for. You had these made from your grandfather’s sword, didn’t you.”

She nodded the affirmative. “I did, Sir. It wasn’t doing me very much good, and I could see how much those robes mean to you, and I thought… I thought it would be more use to you like this than it ever was to me.” Her cheeks, already flushed, were heating even more, and she had so much trouble interpreting the complex of emotions roiling off the Senator. “Did I make a mistake? I’m sorry if this was out of line, given our professional relationship.”

The Senator leaned back on the sofa and grinned at her. “My dear Jedi; you really are a sweetheart, aren’t you? Here’s your present, so you can understand why I’m feeling the way I do right now.”

He tossed his own parcel over to her, a soft rectangle wrapped in shiny silver paper and tied up in green and blue ribbon. She opened it carefully to find a folded square of dark green fabric. When she unfolded it, it proved to be a garment, similar to a Jedi undertunic but _better_. She could tell it would fall down to mid-thigh, and would hug her body comfortably. Jedi clothing is traditionally dull, but this was bright, green like grass or the trees on Naboo in springtime, and the collar, sleeves, and bottom hem were edged with embroidered light-blue flowers. All of it was sewn together using silver thread. As Rey examined the details she noticed the best part: a leather scabbard, sewn behind the fabric down the back of the garment, aligned with the spine, which was the perfect size to hold…

“My sword! A garment for my sword!” Her joy, which was immediate, turned to sorrow almost as quickly. “Oh kriff, my _sword_!” 

She cried; she couldn’t help it. And he was there, Ben was there, he pulled her into his lap and laughed and cried and after several minutes they were finally silent. He was still there, holding her and stroking her hair, and she could feel how much he enjoyed this, how much he wanted it. And she realized that she wanted it too.

His voice was soft in her ear. “Rey,” he said, “let’s put our gifts away and keep them a while. They’re too nice to use now. Let’s call for dinner.”

**Author's Note:**

> I considered trying to write my own Star Wars version of the last paragraph of [The Gift of the Magi](https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/1-the_gift_of_the_magi_0.pdf), which is the wonderful Christmas story on which this story is based. But I think it would be an insult to the original, which is perfect. So here it is. I think it appends well on the end of this story as well:
> 
> The magi, as you know, were wise men—wonderfully wise men—who brought gifts to the newborn Christ-child. They were the first to give Christmas gifts. Being wise, their gifts were doubtless wise ones. And here I have told you the story of two children who were not wise. Each sold the most valuable thing he owned in order to buy a gift for the other. But let me speak a last word to the wise of these days: Of all who give gifts, these two were the most wise. Of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are the most wise. Everywhere they are the wise ones. They are the magi.
> 
> * * *
> 
> Dear jeeno2,
> 
> This is a little treat for you! I'm a fan of your work and when I saw your prompts, inspiration happened. I hope you enjoy this little story.
> 
> Much love,  
> ANONYMOUS (at least until January 6th, 2019)
> 
> Prompts: Senator Organa AU + A Gift of the Magi AU (plus just a little inspo from the party scene in Wonder Woman)


End file.
